Spotify CEO Daniel Ek sparked backlash from the music industry last week when he said the cost of creating content was “close to zero,” prompting him to clarify his remarks on Sunday.
In a May 29 post, Eck mused that society is witnessing a revival of Stoicism, a philosophy adopted by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. But he started by irritating some of the musicians who contribute to his platform.
“Today, when the cost of creating content is close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This piqued my interest in the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life,” Ek tweeted on X.
Today, when the cost of content creation is close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This made me curious about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life. Although much of what we see and hear quickly becomes outdated, there are…
— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) May 29, 2024
Musicians, songwriters and producers, among others, immediately took to social media to criticize Ek’s comments, with some pointing out the significant costs associated with music, including training, equipment and production.
In response to Ek’s post, New Age artist Cheryl B. Engelhardt said she has invested thousands of dollars in creating her music.
“I made my Grammy-nominated album on a train and produced and mixed it entirely myself,” Engelhardt said. “I was able to do this thanks to thousands of dollars spent on quality sound, my education, equipment, etc. Please get a hint and maybe talk to REAL musicians.”
Another indie artist, Shimmer Johnson, called Ek “out of touch.”
“Don’t talk nonsense if you really have nothing to compare it to!!! Great, you became a billionaire thanks to everyone else’s hard work and time!! Congratulations,” Johnson wrote.
On Sunday, Ek sought to clarify his comments, saying his previous definition of content was “clumsy.”
“I understand that this seemed very simplistic to me, but that was not my intention. Just to clarify, my original intent was not to discount the time, effort, or resources it takes to create meaningful works, be it music, literature, or other forms of creative expression,” Ek wrote in his post.
He added that the cost of “creative tools” such as microphones, laptops and cameras has dropped, leading to a sharp increase in the amount of content people can create.
Spotify has was criticized in the past for not paying artists, especially smaller musicians, a fair share for their content. Ek’s comments also come after Spotify announced its second price hike in a year on Monday. Individual subscribers in the US will now pay $11.99, or $1 more per month, for ad-free streaming.
“This update will help us continue to deliver value to fans,” Spotify said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the company announced record profit in the first quarter following cost-cutting measures last year that saw the company lay off more than a quarter of its employees and reduce plans to grow its podcast business, in part by cutting back on original shows.